High speed cigar bunch machine



Nov. 11, 1969 H. A. HooPER HIGH SPEED CIGAR BUNCH MACHINE Filed Nov. 25. 1964 INVENTOR HARRY A. HOOPER BY MM .cwa

ATTORNEY United States Patent O "ice HIGH SPEED CIGAR BUNCH MACHINE Harry Allison Hooper, Larchmont, NY., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 413,028 Int. Cl. A24c 1/00 U.S. Cl. 131-61 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A machine for manufacuring cigars comprising means for trimming a moving stream of tobacco filler to modify a contour periodically at regular intervals, enveloping the stream so shaped in a web of reconstituted tobacco and crimping the stream -at positions of modified contour to form cigar bunches.

This invention is a high speed machine for manufacturing cigars, particularly cigar bunches. A cigar bunch is the generally cylindrical structure comprising cigar filler, which may be short or long ller, enclosed in a casing generally termed a cigar binder. The invention is not limited, however, to the manufacture of cigar bunches only, as it is adaptable with minor modifications to the application of a cigar wrapper to the bunch to form a completed cigar.

In the manufacture of machine made cigars in the industry, for many years the bunches have been made in so called bunch rolling machines. In `such machines, a cigar bunch binder, which may be natural tobacco leaf, or reconstituted tobacco, is first cut to a required contour and placed in a predetermined position on the rolling apron of cigar bunch rolling machines. The tobacco filler is deposited on the apron, generally in a loop therein, .and the loop is advanced progressively in a manner to roll the filler into substantially cylindrical form and to enclose the ller in the binder which is applied helically about the ller in the process, to form the cigar bunch. Provision may be made for tapering one end or both ends of the bunch according to the desired shape of the completed cigar.

In the bunch rolling method, each bunch is produced as a result of an individual rolling operation in which an individual tobacco charge, or bunch filler, as it is termed, is rolled together with the individual tobacco binder. Generally the binder is narrow and relatively long, and since it is wound in several helical turns about the filler, the length of traverse of the rolling apron loop is correspondingly long. Since the rolling loop in the apron must make nearly a complete longitudinal traverse of the rolling table and then must be returned to its original position for the start of a new rolling cycle, the process is understandably slow. Each bunch rolling machine is required to be individually attended by an operator, The machines are expensive, per se, and because of the relatively small output, the cost of bunch rolling operation is a major item of expense in cigar manufacture.

To overcome the relative slowness involved in the manufacture of cigar bunches by the individual bunch rolling method, attempts have been made to manufacture cigars by a method resembling that generally used in the modern machine manufacture of cigarettes. In the present commonly used method of machine manufacture of cigarettes, shredded tobacco is fed from a hopper onto a moving paper web overlying a conveyor. The web carrying the paper passes into a so called cigarette rod maker which first folds the paper about the tobacco in a substantially U-shape and gradually rounds both the paper and tobacco into cylindrical form, with the edges of the 3,477,442 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 paper overlapping to form, after pasting, a longitudinal seam. The continuous structure so formed is the socalled cigarette rod. This is severed into desired lengths to form the individual cigarettes. Attention is called to the fact that in this process the cigarette rod is formed continuously, without interruption, and in modern machines, at high speed approaching 2,000 per minute, whereas cigar bunches as made individually on a cigar bunch rolling machine 4are turned out at the rate of about 20 per minute.

The diameter of the cigarettes produced by the method described in the foregoing is constant. Certain refinements have been introduced into the process to change the concentration of tobacco at various places along the cigarette length generally at the ends, however, this change in concentration does not change the cigarette diameter.

So far yas 'applicant is aware, when. smoking articles generally corresponding to cigars, cherotts, stogies, and others have been manufactured by the method resembling the production of cigarettes through the formation of a rod, the smoking article so produced have been of a roughly made inexpensive type of unchanging diameter throughout. Cigars of better grade are generally shaped at their ends and it has not been possible to manufacture such cigars which are acceptable to the trade at high speed by the rod making process.

An object of the present invention is to manufacture cigars having shaped ends at high speed by the continuous rod making process.

A first feature of the invention is a mechanism which forms a continuously moving contoured tobacco stream which is thereafter enclosed in a continuously moving web of reconstiuted tobacco to form a continuously moving substantially cylindrical rod having regularly spaced short sections of lesser filler compacted therein.

A second feature of the invention is a mechanism which coacts with the mechanism of the first feature to compress the tobacco rod at the positions of lesser compaction to form the rod into a continuously moving length of articulated cigar bunches having tapered ends.

A third feature of the invention is a bunch severing device synchronized with the moving :bunches to sever them into individual cigar bunches, each having two tapered ends.

The severed individual bunches with tapered ends may later be enclosed in wrappers to form the desired Perfecto shaped cigars.

In the process proposed herein, the ller which is showered onto a moving belt to become the moving tobacco stream or braid, before it is enclosed in the binder, is formed of an excess of tobacco over what is required in the bunch. The excess is such that the crosssectional area of each transverse elemental section throughout the entire length of the stream is greater than required in the bunch to be later formed. As the tobacco stream moves forwardly toward the cigar rod-maker, it is subjected to a unique trimming operation. The stream preferably moves horizontally and the trimmer preferably is arranged so that its position is adjustable vertically regularly to either of two positions with respect to the position of the stream at a predetermined interval. In its upper position is constantly engages the stream, at such a level that it continually removes the excess only. This ensures that there will be sufficient tobacco iiller in each elemental crosssection of the nished bunch. The trimming mechanism is arranged so that at predetermined intervals it is depressed to its lower position so as to trim a larger quantity of tobacco from restricted lengths of the stream. Therefore after trimming, the stream consists of a succession of relatively long higher sections separated by relatively short lower sections. As a result of this the tobacco filler Within the tobacco web cigar rod cover has alternate sections of compacted and less compacted lengths at regularly spaced intervals. After emerging from the cigar rod former, a pair of coacting dies or crimp rollers are actuated at proper timed intervals to shape the ends as desired, tapered, rounded or otherwise.

It has been found desirable to modify the web of reconstituted tobacco which forms the binder enclosing the bunch so that it may be wrapped neatly about the tapered sections of the stream. This modification may take many forms. One preferred form which has proven successful is the removal of a number of aligned small diamond shaped sections transversely of the web at each of the points Where the taper is to be formed. The removal of these diamond shaped areas makes it possible to compress the web neatly about the tapers at the junction between the bunches before separation into individual bunches.

The invention may be understood from the following detailed description when read with reference to the associated drawings which taken together disclose a preferred embodiment in which the invention is presently incorporated. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be practiced by other means which may be suggested from a consideration of the present disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a vertical elevation, partly in section, of the high speed cigar bunch machine of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of a vertical elevation, partly in section, of a portion of FIG. 1, drawn to a larger scale, showing the trimming mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of a vertical elevation of a portion of FIG. 1, drawn to a larger scale, showing the pair of coacting dies or crimping rollers and the rotating knife; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a section of reconstituted tobacco web showing a typical configuration of a section of the web from which portions have been removed to facilitate formation of bunch ends.

Refer now to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, cigar filler tobacco is delivered to hopper 1 in any convenient manner and is showered therefrom onto endless collection tape 2 which is perforated to permit the passage of air for a purpose to be described hereinafter. Tape 2 is driven by pulley 2A which is connected to a driving source, not shown. Tape 2 is trained over pulleys 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E to keep it taut and runs in the direction indicated by arrow 2F so that it continually passes under the hopper 1 from pulley 2C to pulley 2D in the direction toward the cigar rod former.

As mentioned in the foregoing, an excess of tobacco is showered onto tape 2 so that every elemental transverse cross-section of the formed tobacco stream, or braid, is thicker than is required in the finished bunch. This ensures that, after trimming to a predetermined height, the quantity of tobacco in the stream will be just sufficient to provide the required amount in the bunch which is being formed.

Hollow chamber 3 is connected by means of the depending neck 3A to a source of suction, not shown. The upper surface of element 3 is perforated so that when perforated endless tape 2, carrying the tobacco stream, or braid, formed :by the showering of the filler tobacco onto tape 2, is advanced over the surface of hollow chamber 3, it is subjected to suction. The amount of suction applied to the braid compresses it, so that after trimming, to be described hereinafter, it will be of substantially uniform density and transverse cross sectional area. After compression, and before trimming however, because of the excess tobacco showered onto the tbelt, the thickness of the stream remains greater than is required to form the bunch. Further, the suction tends to hold the braid securely in position so that it may be operated on advantageously by the shaping wheel in the oscillating trimmer 4, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

A continuous belt 7 is driven by a pulley 7A which in turn is driven from a power source7 not shown. The belt 7 is trained over tightening pulleys 7B and 7C, before passing into the cigar rod forming apparatus, and, after emerging therefrom, is reengaged by pulley 7A. A continuous web of reconstituted tobacco 5, which serves as the envelope, or binder, for the bunch is drawn off a reel 5A and passes over tightening pulleys 5B, 5C and 5D to a position over pulley 7C whereat it overlies the continuous belt 7 as it passes into the rod forming apparatus.

The tobacco stream, or braid, after being modified by the trimmer 4, in a manner to be described, passes onto the tobacco web and moves with it through the cigar rod former. The cigar rod former comprises tongue 8A, folder 8B, paster SC, and sealer 8D, all well known in the art, which form the tobacco stream and the underlying tobacco binder web progressively from a flat uniplanar sheet, into progressively deeper U-shape and then into a substantially cylindrical shape, with the edges of the web overlapping slightly. The overlapping edges are pasted in the paster 8C to form a longitudinal seam which is sealed in the sealer dD. The rod structure after emerging from the rod former passes between a pair of opposed dies or crimping rollers 11A and 11B. The upper crimping roller 11A is provided with a pair of peripheral die or crimping projections 11C and 11D and the lower crimping roller 11B is provide with a corresponding pair 11E and 11F. These die or crimping projections may be shaped so as to coact to form the bunch ends in any desired manner. Projections 11C and 11E coact as a first pair and projections 11D and 11F coact as a second pair, alternately to form the bunch ends. After passing through the crimper the rod is severed into individual bunches by the cut-off 12 and then passes to the deflector and collecting mechanism 13.

As mentioned in the foregoing an area of the web 5 is perforated at predetermined positions as it is drawn off the reel 5A while being fed to the rod former. The perforations may be advantageously performed by die 6 which is provided with cutting, or punching, projections 6A and 6B which coact alternately with a die element 6C underlying the web 5. The removal of a portion of the web at properly spaced intervals along its length facilitates the wrapping of the bunch at the individual ends thereof where it has been tapered as described hereinbefore. The trimming mechanism 4, the die mechanism 6, the crimping, or end forming, rollers 11A and 11B and the cut-olip mechanism 12 are actuated in 1:1 synchromsm.

Refer now to FIG. 2. Elements in FIG. 2 corresponding to elements in FIG. l are numbered identically. The tobacco braid 14, formed by the tobacco filler showered from the hopper 1 and gathered by the perforated belt 2, passes as described over the suction chamber 3 where it is compacted by the suction while being subjected to the action of the trimming mechanism 4. The braid 14, as shown in FIG. 2, is thickest at the right side of the figure, before it is acted on by the trimmer Iwheel 15, At every elemental transverse cross-section to the right of the trimmer wheel, the braid is thicker than required. The trimmer Wheel 15 is normally in such a position as to trim the portion of the braid 14 in the relatively long region between the depressed sections which are to be formed into the tapered ends. The tobacco which is trimmed from the stream is directed through a return duct 16 which is connected to a source of suction, not shown, and is returned to the tobacco source. A drive motor 17, secured in position by means of a bracket bolted to the hopper 1, is provided with a pulley 18 and a corresponding pulley 19 is secured to the shaft of the trimmer wheel 1S. A belt 20 interconnects the two pulleys. A bell crank 21 having a vertical arm 23 and a horizontal arm 24 is loosely mounted for rotation about shaft 25. The left hand end of arm 24 is loosely connected to the shaft of the shaping wheel 15. The upper end of arm 23 is provided with a stud shaft 30, to which a follower 26 is mounted which engages with a rotating cam 27' which 'is secured by bracket 31 to the hopper 1. The bell crank 21 is biased in a clockwise direction by a spring 28 which is connected between the arm 23 and the wall of the hopper 1. As the cam 27 is rotated in counter-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow, roller 26 is oscillated -under the inliuence of the cam and the spring 28. Responsively the shaping wheel is reciprocated substantially vertically from its normal position to its depressed position to shape the braid as described heretofore. The trimmings are drawn olf through duct 16.

Refer now to FIG. 3 which shows the crimping, or end forming, rollers 11A and 11B and the peripheral projections thereon to a larger scale.

It is to be understood that the cigar rod, comprising the contoured tobacco iller stream encased in the reconstituted tobacco web, and the crimpers are rotated, in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3,1 both at such a speed that, when the rod is periodically engaged by the opposed coacting projections on the crimper, the quantity of tobacco passing the projections at the instant is considerably less than required to fill the web casing compactly and the crimpers press the reduced quantity of tobacco between them to form one tapered or otherwise-formed end of each of two adjacent cigar bunches. As explained heretofore, this operation is facilitated by the perforation of the web, as shown in FIG. 4. After each cigar bunch end forming operation, the cutting element 12 is actuated into the middle of the formed depression to sever an individual cigar bunch having two formed ends from the rod. The cigar bunches are delivered individually to conveyor 13.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for manufacturing perfecto shaped cigar bunches having tapered ends comprising means for forming a continuous stream of tobacco filler, trimmer means adjacent said stream for removing a portion of said stream and means for causing said trimmer means to periodically intercept at least a portion of said stream incident to the spacing between successive tapered ends of a cigar bunch to remove tobacco therefrom.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which said trimmer means is a trimmer wheel, and in which said means for actuating said trimmer means is a mechanism for displacing said trimmer wheel perpendicularly to said stream to reduce the stream in a region which is to comprise a tapered end in each of two abutting cigar bunches before separation.

3. A machine for manufacturing cigar bunches having tapered ends, said machine comprising means for forming a stream of tobacco tiller having an excess of tobacco in each elemental lateral cross-section thereof, a trimmer for continuously trimming said stream to a contour suitable for the formation of a continuous rod comprising a plurality of cigar bunches having interconnecting tapered ends, means for automatically adjusting said trimmer with respect to said stream first position in which it removes said excess continuously from said stream in position between the ends of the bunches being formed, and means for periodically adjusting said trimmer and to a second position in which it removes said excess and additional tobacco to form said tapered ends.

4. A cigar machine for manufacturing perfecto shaped cigar bunches having tapered ends comprising means for forming a continuous tobacco rod adjustably positionable trimming means adjacent said streams for removing tobacco therefrom and for forming a contoured tobacco stream having relatively elongated sections of uniform larger cross-section interconnected by shorter sections each having a substantially reduced cross-section, and means for adjusting the position of said trimming means with respect to said stream to a first trimming position for forming said elongated cross-section and to a second position for forming said reduced cross-sections.

5. A cigar machine in accordance with claim 4 in which said means for adjusting the position of said trimming means is a cam controlled linkage for said trimmer.

6. A cigar machine for manufacturing perfecto shaped cigar bunches having tapered ends, said machine comprising in combination means for forming a contoured filler tobacco stream and a cigar rod former, said contoured stream of a rst untrimmed portion having continuous uninterrupted elemental cross-section greater in area than required in said bunches, a second relatively elongated section of small cross-section than said untrimmed stream, and relatively shorter sections of reduced crosssection interconnecting said relatively elongated sections, said means for forming said contoured stream comprising a trimming mechanism for removing tobacco from said stream and, means for operating said trimming mechanism at predetermined times from a first elevated position for the formation of said relatively longer sections to a second lower position for the formation of said interconnecting sections, said cigar rod former comprising means for communicating said contoured tobacco stream to the input thereof, means for delivering a web of reconstituted tobacco through said former to form said stream into a rod, and means beyond the output of said former for crimping said rod in the position of said interconnecting sections and means for severing said crimped rod at said crimped positions.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 6 having means for perforating said web at positions corresponding to said interconnecting sections, so as to facilitate said crimping.

8. In the manufacture of shaped cigars having tapered ends, the method of operation comprising the steps of forming a continuous stream of ller tobacco having an excess of tobacco in each elemental lateral cross-section, continuously trimming said stream to remove said excess tobacco to form thereby a uniform stream, and at predetermined intervals removing an additional amount of said tobacco so as to form a moving stream of tobacco having a continuous contour simulating a series of shaped cigars, forming said stream into a rod and wrapping said rod into a web of reconstituted tobacco.

9. The operation according to claim 8 including the additional steps of crimping and severing said rod at said reduced positions thereof so as to form a plurality of cigars having shaped ends.

10. The operation according to claim 9 including the additional step of perforating said web in predetermined positions incident to the positions of the shaped ends so as to facilitate crimping. 

